The Army
by MusiCath
Summary: “The Army, Jack,” he asked, finding the situation almost too incredulous to believe. “Are you high? Aren’t you the same guy who organized the ‘Streak for Peace’ last spring?” [Javid] [OneShot]


**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Newsies, they belong to Disney. I am a poor college student.**

**AN: **This one line from a song keeps turning in my head, so I decided to write a fic about it.

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Lunchtime at M.L. Kloppman High School was a veritable zoo, and probably always will be. There were only about two hundred students scheduled to be in the late lunch, or upperclassmen lunch as it was often referred to, but there seemed to be more. The almost-but-not-quite aubergine walls of the converted swimming pool echoed and multiplied the sound produced by the rooms' occupants. Adding to this sense that the room was filled more than it really was, was the fact that every chair was taken, and some students even shared chairs (but this in fact was due entirely to the administration's inability to realize that many people prefer to actually sit while eating lunch, go figure).

At the far end of the room stood an ordinary generic circular plastic table, identical to every other table in that room except for the mixture of boys who sat around it. In the standard plastic seats that circled the table sat the oddest collection of students Kloppman High had to offer. There were Band Geeks, Choir Kids, Nerd, Jocks, Gays, Straights, Confuseds, Closet Cases, and Basket Cases, but labels didn't matter to these boys, not in the slightest, for they had been friends since before any of them could walk, and they wanted to keep it that way. So despite their "social standing", every lunch period the boys would gather to sit and eat.

As crazy as this arrangement may seem, it worked. At a small school like Klippman High it was easier for members of various groups to get along. That didn't mean that there were no problems, but the problems that arose (such as Choir Kids harmonizing and a Jock throwing a Nerf ball at them) were never very serious. And if they did get out of control, Jack Kelly was there to break up the ruckus before anybody ended up in detention.

For as far back as anyone could remember, Jack Kelly was always the leader. No one was quite sure why though. It wasn't because he was the oldest. No, that was Anthony who started Kindergarten late due to "maturity problems." Nor was he the smartest. That title definitely belonged to David, who was Valedictorian. He wasn't the star Quarterback who led the team to victory at States the previous year, but he had dated the head cheerleader (they of course broke up when she decided to attend college in Austin, TX, and he figured out he was more interested in her younger brother than her, not that either party knew). Jack was just charismatic and outgoing, and a natural leader.

Usually, it was Jack who would be causing most of the chaos, but today he sat quietly reading that was hidden underneath the table, while the rest of the group chattered on as normal.

"Hey Jack," called out one of the boys. "Can I have your chili cheese fries?"

"Ya sure," came the mumbled response from Jack. His head remained bent, his gaze focused on the glossy pages in his lap.

A hand reached out and began to pull Jack's tray away from its owner before another hand slapped it.

"Woah woah woah," cried out the slapper. "Hey Jack, you alright? I mean you just gave Anthony permission to eat your chili cheese fries. Are you running a fever or something?" The speaker leaned across the table in an attempt to feel Jack's forehead before Jack pushed the approaching hand away.

"I'm fine," he growled.

The subject was dropped, though not because no one cared as to the reason why Jack allowed Anthony to touch his precious chili cheese fries, but because the bell rang and all needed to get to class. As Jack packed his reading material into his backpack, one fell to the floor unbeknownst to all except one.

David Jacobs had been best friends with Jack Kelly ever since his family had moved next door to Jack's in the summer before eighth grade. Jack and David's sister Sarah had dated before Sarah left to go to college in Austin. Jack was the first person David had come out too, and reassured David that his family and friends would still love him no matter. It was David who had question Jack's health, and picked up what Jack had dropped. After a brief examination of the leaflet, David decided to eighty-six going to the library during his free period, and instead headed to the senior lounge to talk to Jack.

Sure enough David found Jack seated in one of the old sofas playing Mario.

"Hey Dave," Jack greeted his friend with a wide smile. "You want to play?"

David did not want to play. David just wanted to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. So instead of returning Jack's greeting he held up the pamphlet.

"The Army, Jack," he asked, finding the situation almost too incredulous to believe. "Are you high? Aren't you the same guy who organized the 'Streak for Peace' last spring?"

Jack shrugged. There was nothing for him to say. It was his decision to make, not David's. But he knew enough to let his friend finish before trying to get his own words in.

David continued. "What happened to the University of Santa Fe? The first day I met you, you told me 'Hi my name's Jack and I'm going to go to the University of Santa Fe.' Remember Jack?"

"Ya I remember. Do you remember what you said Dave?"

"I said, 'Hi I'm David and I want to go to Harvard.'"

"Well you're not going to Harvard are you," Jack asked as he rose from his seat. "No, you're going to Berkeley." He paused. "Dreams change Dave."

"So you're telling me that you're dream is to go into the army," a very confused David asked.

"Look Dave, I can't afford to go to college."

"Since when? I thought your dad had a hefty college fund for you."

"That fund was for his _son_, which I no longer am considering he disowned me."

"WHAT? Why?"

"He found out that I'm gay." Jack shrugged. "And now that I'm 18 he doesn't need to take care of me. I've been living with Sean, but his family's so big. So I really have no other choice but to join the army."

"Well what about the army's policy on homosexuals? If they find you out-"

"It's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Dave. I won't tell, or give them any reason to ask."

It was one of the few times in his life where David had nothing to say.

"But you dated my sister," he finally said, still obviously confused at Jack being gay.

"Well people change," Jack replied, staring into his friend's eyes.

A terse silence followed. Jack and David started at each other for what felt like, to them, a good five minutes before Jack's meaning finally hit home to David. A goofy smile appeared on David's face, and a blush crept onto his cheeks. An identical smile appeared on Jack's lips as he moved closer to David and began to lean in.

"You know Jack," David said hurriedly just as Jack's lips were about to meet his own. "If you want to go to the University of Santa Fe I could help you. I mean there are tons of scholarships out there, and since you're financially independent of your father now---"

"David," interrupted Jack. "Just shut up and let me kiss you."

David did as Jack asked, and the two of them fell back onto the couch kissing until the bell rang to mark the end of the period.

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And done. I couldn't sleep so I decided to write this instead. I know it's not the best thing out there, but it's 4am and I'm on caffeine.


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